Chapter 2 – Make Me the Best Martial Artist (2)
Namgoong Se-ga’s wife and his concubine, Eon So-young, paused on their way and waited for their daughter and the commotion to return.
“I’ve raised our daughter wrong… sigh…”
“It’s okay. Isn’t it for Se-ga’s sake?”
Eon So-young smiled softly and didn’t bother to mention that it would be too late even if they hurried.
The sudden arrival of a messenger scorpion was just a possibility, and she didn’t expect it to arrive on time.
There wouldn’t be a big problem if she went to check the scream that came from afar.
Until the ‘disaster’ that she herself couldn’t predict happened, it was clear that it would be like this.
Thud.
“Who’s there?”
At the sound of Namgoong Tae-hyeon, the supreme master urgently sent by Se-ga, Eon So-young turned her head.
The tip of Namgoong Tae-hyeon’s sword pointed to where the old man in blue, who had not been there just a moment ago, was walking with a hunch.
“When did he come?”
Including her, there were three supreme masters in this place.
Even if the remaining disciples didn’t know, how could they approach this closely and deceive their attention?
The old man looked around as if he didn’t care about their gaze, then asked in a strange tone.
“Where is Namgoong Hye? She must be coming down from Amisan…”
“You bastard! Why are you looking for Hye-a? If you don’t answer, I’ll…”
Thud.
“You’re making too much noise. If you just let go of Namgoong Hye, you can go back safely…”
Namgoong Tae-hyeon couldn’t finish his sentence and fell with a gruesome sight of his head flying off.
The old man proudly flicked his finger once and then brought his hand back behind his back.
It was only possible to guess that he had blown away the wind, but the fact that no one among them saw the old man pointing his finger made Eon So-young’s spine tingle.
“Kyaaaaaah!”
Thud thud thud thud thud.
Late, Se-bi screamed, and late, another supreme master and disciples blocked the old man’s path and drew their swords.
“Huh, causing unnecessary trouble.”
The old man raised his hand with a strangely eerie laughter, but then turned his head as if he felt something.
When it seemed like there were plenty of openings, but no one could swing their swords at him, Eon So-young felt a rapid approach.
“No! “
Her daughter was coming back. The old man’s goal was her daughter, so if she was captured, the old man’s goal would be achieved.
Although she couldn’t exactly know what the goal was, Eon So-young thought she had to stop the old man. Her mouth opened.
“Hye-a, run away! Quickly!”
Eon So-young shouted and lunged towards the old man. She doubted if she could block even one of his moves with her own skills, but fortunately, Namgoong Se-ga’s supreme master understood everything in that moment of shout and had the wit to engage in combat with her on the spot.
Namgoong Se-ga’s boasted Changgung Muae Sword Technique unfolded, and the sword shadows covered the surroundings. Then, a gust of wind supported Eon So-young’s fist from behind.
Namgoong Hye, being quite clever, would have quickly understood the situation. The only thing Eon So-young worried about was her gentle and kind nature, which might lead her to think that she could lend a hand.
Not knowing how terrifying the old man was, it was an inevitable mistake to let her get involved.
The limit of their combined strength to withstand was at most three seconds. Eon So-young anticipated this, so the more Namgoong Hye hesitated, the more desperate her resistance would become.
“Tsk, tsk…”
At that moment, Eon So-young distinctly heard the sound of the old man licking his lips in her ear. His voice seemed to mock their wrong choice.
Eon So-young forced her clenched fist forward, but even if she had retracted her fist in that situation, it would have been meaningless.
With a light flick of his right hand, the old man deceived the gust of wind and precisely neutralized the beginning of Changgung So-wol’s sword shadows that were endlessly blowing.
And once again.
Thud.
Just a breath before, Namgoong Se-ga’s supreme master, who had been swinging his sword fiercely with a determination to die, lost his head again.
The flying gust of wind then landed lightly on the old man’s sleeve, and his gaze reached Namgoong Hye.
The old man’s calm expression suddenly changed at that moment.
As soon as I arrived, I, who landed roughly on the ground like a sack, swallowed hard as I watched the dazzling sword disappear like a joke.
What the hell?
It seemed like the two of them were about to attack him together, but something flashed and in an instant, the situation was over.
They were really swept away like dogs.
It felt like his fingers flicked a few times, and then the sword shadows that covered the surroundings disappeared, and next, heads flew.
From the back, the person who appeared to be a woman seemed to be trying to fight, but whether she had been hit by a vital point or not, she didn’t even blink.
“Young lady, you must escape.”
“No, I can’t just leave my mother behind like this!”
“I hoped you would avoid it! Didn’t you see that he was an opponent even your mother couldn’t handle?”
Meanwhile, Miss Ahn and Miss Yoo were still debating whether they could escape from those old folks, even though their time for stalling had come to an end.
In almost every genre novel, there is one rule: the strong ones are always faster than the weak ones, no matter what.
“Even if we try to run now, we’ll be caught in no time.”
It would have been right to assume that once they left any trace or showed any ability to track, they would be trapped.
If there was even a slight chance, I should have taken the opportunity to run as soon as I heard the suggestion to escape later.
Just as I was about to bring up the idea of staying and escaping later, my eyes met with the old man’s.
And I felt a sensation as if I were facing a fierce beast when I saw his eyes widen like plates. Before I knew it, I found myself turning around and running.
But that was only for a moment.
The beautiful lilac tree that grew on both sides seemed to bend its waist, and then it collapsed in front of me.
From behind me, the voice of the old man reached my ears.
“Don’t go any further. Come here. There’s something I need to confirm, so don’t be too scared.”
I thought his voice would be filled with annoyance, but surprisingly, it was gentle.
Moreover, for an old man, his voice was refreshing, which made it trustworthy.
…What? What did he say to those old folks who were just smashing people’s heads?
Anyway, trying to escape from here would only lead to death. It was not something I didn’t know, but my body ran away on its own.
I forced myself to take heavy steps towards the old man, feeling the disdainful gaze of Miss Ahn on me.
I felt embarrassed and quickened my pace, finally standing face to face with the old man, who was scanning me up and down.
“Sir, may I ask what’s going on?”
“Oh, hush. Just stand still.”
He tapped my shoulder, patted my back, and even stroked my lower back. I resisted the shivers that ran down my spine.
He couldn’t be gay, right?
After feeling a ticklish sensation on my wrist for a while, the old man let go of my wrist and nodded his head.
“Ah…”
“Sir, have you finished confirming…?”
I had to squeeze out as much politeness as possible, with the conviction that I must never go against this old man’s intentions. I couldn’t live with a broken watermelon instead of a head.
“Ah, yes! It’s over! It’s over!”
The old man patted my back with a cheerful expression. I could only awkwardly smile. That was all I could do.
“Listen, young one. Have you ever thought about learning martial arts?”
That’s right. The old man, or rather the master who had performed the ancient rituals, was now known as the “Sage of Colorful Blood” and had come to devour the virginity of Nam Gung-hye. But luckily, he had found me, the lucky one.
Now, wouldn’t it be a simple explanation as to why I’m here, listening to lectures on the “Mysteries of Colorful Heaven” and the connection between martial arts and leadership?
From now on, I should call them “Master” even in my mind. If it slips out of my mouth, I might end up dead.
Anyway, it seemed like the Master was enthusiastic about teaching me. He would occasionally ask questions about the things he had already taught.
“Now, the ancient sages said that there were three methods to become divine. What are those three?”
“Martial arts, elixirs, and leadership.”
“That’s right. In ancient times, these three were clearly distinguished, but at the same time, as they honed their skills, they naturally gained knowledge in other areas.”
The lecture continued.
As time passed and chaos engulfed the world, the importance of martial arts grew, rapidly advancing.
While elixirs fell short in reaching the pinnacle of leadership, they proved to be helpful in acquiring martial arts, and thus, they developed alongside martial arts. However, those who pursued leadership through leadership techniques lagged behind.
Naturally, they were treated with contempt and ignored, eventually being classified as the so-called “Colorful Demons” and suppressed.
“Therefore, the seventh generation of the Colorful Heaven’s investigation combined the famous martial arts of that time with leadership techniques, creating the prototype of what I am now learning, the ‘Deng Sun Gong’.”
“…”
“Afterward, as generations passed, the investigators added their own insights, further developing Deng Sun Gong and creating corresponding techniques. This is the history of Colorful Heaven, the accumulation of practices passed down from generation to generation, aiming for divinity.”
Listening to this, it seemed quite substantial. Ultimately, it was about purifying the body to reach divinity.
The problem was that in the process, innocent women were devoured.
“Deng Sun Gong fundamentally accepts the energy of nature, purifies the body, and aims to progress through cultivation towards a state close to divinity. Starting with basic movements, gradually progressing through advanced techniques, it is necessary to practice diligently… but I have a slightly different method in mind for you.”
“A different method, you say?”
“That’s right. However, in order to continue the lineage of the sect, you need to understand every step of the process, so engrave it in your mind.”
The Master stood up from his seat and began to assume several postures.
“Watch and follow. This is the introductory technique of the main text, the foundational movement called ‘Seductive Provocation’ or ‘Colorful Path Initiation.'”
Huh? What? Seductive provocation…?